Doubront scheduled to start against Blue Jays

BOSTON -- Felix Doubront is slated to return to the Red Sox rotation next weekend against the Blue Jays, manager John Farrell said Saturday.

By Tim Britton

BOSTON -- Felix Doubront is slated to return to the Red Sox rotation next weekend against the Blue Jays, manager John Farrell said Saturday.

Doubront will throw a bullpen session on Sunday and a simulated game Tuesday to prepare for his return to the rotation. He has not started since September 6 in the Bronx, getting bumped when Clay Buchholz came back.

"We felt this was the need just from the physical standpoint," Farrell said of Doubront's rest. "There wasn't anything glaring inside the last five or six starts he made, it was just the lack of consistency. And to me that looked like fatigue."

Doubront concurred with that assessment when handed the time off last week.

"I feel like I need it," the left-hander said. "This rest is going to help. Rest my body, my arm, start doing drills in the bullpen. I'm just going to take it easy and get prepared for my next start."

Doubront has benefited from time off in the past, both last September and earlier this year in May. He's 10-6 with a 4.15 ERA on the season.

With a day off Monday, the Red Sox have some freedom in aligning their rotation. If they decide not to skip anyone, Ryan Dempster, Jake Peavy and John Lackey would be in line to start against Baltimore this week. Boston could conceivably skip Dempster and move everyone up to pitch on normal rest, with Jon Lester pitching Thursday against the Orioles.